Medicament holder for nasal inhalers



June 15, 1937. A, G, BORDEN 2,084,299

MEDICAMENT HOLDER FOR NASAL INHALERS Filed Dec. 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \v I 0% I 3mm ulrihur GBorden,

June 15, 1937. A. G. BORDEN 2,084,299

MEDICAMENT HOLDER FOR NASAL INHALERS Filed Dec. 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 15, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEDICAMENT HOLDER FOR NASAL INHALERS Claims.

In certain known types of medicament vaporizers such, for example,-as the nasal inhalers described and claimed in my prior application,

Serial Nos. 665,965, and my U. S. Patent No.

5 1,986,247 of January 1, 1935, it is usual to provide a tube or cup as a container or holder for the medicament and to provide electrical means to heat said tube or cup for the purpose of vaporizing the medicament contained therein.

Heretofore the medicaments used in Vaporizers of the character referred to usually have been either in the form of a liquid, a powder or a salve, placed either directly in the cup or constituting the impregnating medium of an ab- 15 sorbent cartridge or the like suitably supported within the tube orcup. 'Now, in order to obtain various advantages respecting packaging and handling of the medicaments, as well as to avoid various disadvantages respecting the use of medicaments of the nature mentioned, it is proposed to supply the medicaments in disk-like solid form.

When a medicament disk is placed within the tube or cup of a vaporizer and is subjected to heat it becomes a liquid prior to being vaporized and must, therefore, be controlled, especially if the container is of the open-bottom design wherein medicament impregnated cartridges have heretofore been used. On the other hand, 30 even in Vaporizers where the medicament holder is of closed bottom, cup form it is desirable to provide at the bottom of the cup a pad to absorb the liquid rather than to permit the same to collect directly in the bottom of the cup as 35 otherwise, if the vaporizer should be tilted, there might be danger of the liquid escaping from the cup either into the interior or to the exterior of the vaporizer.

Accordingly, the general object of the present 40 invention is to provide novel means for suspending an absorbent element and a superimposed medicament disk within the tube or cup of a medicament vaporizer so that when the disk is melted and becomes a liquid it is absorbed by 45 the absorbent element and therefore is controlled against flow no matter in what position the vaporizer may be held. Moreover, by the provision of means for suspending an absorbent element and a superimposed medicament disk 50 withinthe tube or cup of a vaporizer there is obtained the additional important advantage that the absorbent element, when removed from the tube or cup of a vaporizer, may be utilized as a swab for cleaning the tube or cup, thus 55 eliminating any necessity of providing separate tubes or cups as containers or holders for medicaments of different kinds, particularly since an absorbent element individual to each medicament disk may be furnished and used at little or no expense and because the use of such elements avoids the leaving of any residue of medicament within a vaporizer.

Other more particular but special objects of the invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive holder for an absorbent element and a superimposed medicament disk, which holder is of such construction that the absorbent element and medicament disk may readily and easily be placed therein or thereon and equally as readily removed therefrom, and which includes means engageable with the absorbent element in a manvner to cause the same to positively be moved into and from the tube or cup of a vaporizer with the holder when the latter is inserted into and removed therefrom.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the provision of a holder having the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein are illustrated different practical embodiments of the invention and. wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in related vieWs:--

Figure l is a central, longitudinal section through a nasal inhaler of known type illustrating the use therewith of one form of holder constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating another known type of nasal inhaler and the use therewith of another form of holder constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the holder shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the holder shown in Figure 2;, and.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views illustrating other forms of the holder.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, A designates, generally, a nasal inhaler which is of a type illustrated in my prior application, Serial No. 665,965, and which includes a casing l0 containing a tube ll open at its top and bottom, an electrical heating coil l2 sur- I rounding said tube, and a removable cap I3 closing the upper end of said casing and provided with ducts H for the escape of medicament vapors from the tube H.

The holder illustrated in Fig. 1 and-more in detail in Fig. 3 and designated generally as B is formed in the present instance from a single length of wire and comprises a pair of vertical legs l5, l5 which terminate at their upper ends in substantially a ring l6 which is horizontally disposed, and which, near their lower ends are bent first outwardly as at H, thence downwardly as at I8, thence inwardly as at I9, andthence outwardly as at 20 and finally inwardly as at 2| in a horizontal plane to provide a cage-like structure b the top of which is constituted by the portions II, the sides of which are constituted by the portions l8, l8 and the bottom of which is constituted by the oppositely disposed, reversely bent horizontal portions 20, 2| and the portop of the casing I0 is provided with an annular channel 22 to accommodate the substantially ring-like formation H5 at the top of the holder B and the cap I3 is provided with a shoulder 23 to overlie said ring-like formation I8 thereby to maintain the holder operatively positioned within the inhaler with the cage-like formation b of the holder disposed within the tube I l. The wire from which the holder is formed is resilient and the sides l8, l8 of the cage-like structure b preferably are spaced apart normally by an amount slightly in excess of the internal diameter of the tube ll so that the sides of said cage-like structure which are sprung together when the holder is inserted into the tube l I, spring outwardly against the walls of said tube following insertion of the holder and thereby prevent undesirable lateral movement of the holder within the tube. However, when the cap l3-is removed the holder is readily removable simply by grasping and pulling on the handle-like formation thereof constituted by the loop or ring-like portion l6 and the legs l5, l5.

Before inserting the holder into the tube ll an absorbent'disk-like pad 24 of cotton on other suitable material is placed within the cage-like structure b and upon said pad is placed a medicament. disk 25, both the pad and the medicament disk being confined between the bottom of the cage-like structure and the top thereof constituted by the arms I'l. Thus, upon insertion of the holder the pad and medicament disk are positively carried by the holder to an operative position withinthe tube H, and upon removal of the holder the pad is positively withdrawn there-- with. In this connection it is pointed out that the normal diameter of the pad preferably is in excess of the internal diameter of the tube so that upon insertion of the pad the same becomes slightly compressed and whereby, upon removal of the holder and the pad, the latter acts as a swab to wipe and clean the tube H.

In Figure 5 of the drawings is illustrated a holder B which also is formed from a single length of wire and which is generally similar to the holder illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but which embodies a slightly different specific construction. As illustrated in Fig. 5 the holder 13' comprises a single vertical leg IS, a ring-like formation It at the top of said leg corresponding to the ringllke formation l8 of the Figs. 1 and 2 embodiment of the invention, and a cage-like structure I) at the bottom of said leg formed by bending the wire first outwardly as at H, thence downwardly as at l8, thence inwardly as at l9, thence into S-form as at 20, thence outwardly in alinement with the portion l9 as at l9", thence upwardly as at I8" and finally inwardly as at H. As is understood, of course, the holder B is used in the same manner as the holder B.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, A designates, generally, a nasal inhaler which is of the type illustrated in my aforesaid patent No. 1,986,247, and which includes a casing l0 containing a medicament cup ll open at its top and closed at its bottom, an electrical heating coil l2 surrounding said cup, a removable cap l3 closing the upper end of said casing and provided with ducts M for the escape of medicament vapors from the cup II, and an air supply tube 26 within and coaxial with said cup.

The holder B illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 is'in all respects similar to the holder B illustrated in Figs. land 3 except that, instead of providing a ring-like formation at the top thereof to be confined between the top of the casing and the cap,

the upper ends of the legs l5, 15 are joined together by a substantially semi-circular loop l6 which, in the inserted position of the holder within the cup ll, embraces an upper end portion of the air tube 26 and thereby serves to hold the holder properly positioned within the cup. The holder B is, of course, used in the same manner as the holders illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, a large ring-like formation at the top thereof for cooperation with the' casing being not required because the cup I! is closed at its bottom and thereby serves as a stop to limit insertion of the holder. However, whereas the pads and medicament disks 24, 25 used with the holders illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 need not be centrally apertured, it is necessary that the pads and medicament disks used in the inhaler illustrated in Fig. 3 be centrally apertured in order to accommodate the air supply tube 26. Moreover, while the holders illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 are specially formed for use with an inhaler as illustrated in Fig. 1, it is apparent that the holder shown in Fig. 3 may be used with an inhaler as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring to the Fig. 6 embodiment of the holder, it will be observed that the same comprises a tube 21 to be telescoped over the air supply tube 26, and a disk-formation 28 at the bottom of said tube 21 constituting a. support for the absorbent pad and the medicament disk which are intended to be slipped downwardly over the tube 21 prior to insertion of the holder within the cup H. Struck from the disk 28 is a tongue or tongues 29 to engage and hold the absorbent pad against said disk, thus to causethe pad to be positively moved downwardly with the holder into the cup H. The diskt28' may or may not be perforated as desired. Preferably it is perforated so that in the event of any medicament finding its way to the bottom of the cup H', the medicament vapors may rise freely to the top of said cup.

As in the Figure 6 embodiment of the invention, the holder illustrated in Fig. 7 comprises a tube. 21 and a perforated disk 28" near the bottom thereof. However, instead of the disk 28 being provided with pad retaining tongues as in Fig. 6,

an exteriorly threaded, short tubular formation 30 depends from said disk 28 as a pad engaging and holding means.

In the Figures 6 and 7 embodiments of the invention the tubes obviously serve as handles to facilitate insertion and removal of the holders.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 8, it will be observed that the holder is formed from a single length of wire and comprises, as in the Figs. 1 to 4 embodiments of the invention, a pair of vertical legs l", l5 which are joined together at their upper ends by a substantially semi-circular loop li and which, at their lower ends, are extended first outwardly, as as 3|, at substantially right angles to the plane of the legs l5 l5 and then are extended circumferentially and upwardly as at 32, being terminated in finishing eyelets 33. Thus, there is provided at the bottom of the holder a cage-like formation b the bottom of which is constituted by the wire portions 3| and the top of which is constituted by the terminal end portions of the circumferentially and upwardly directed portions 32. An absorbent disk having a central opening or a central slit or slits is slidable over the loop Hi and downwardly along the legs l5, l5 until it comes to rest upon the portions 3|, whereupon its marginal portions may be tucked under the terminal ends of the portions 32 to operatively mount the disk on the holder for vertical movements therewith; or, instead of tucking the marginal portions of the disk under the terminals of the portions 32, pressure may be exerted upon the legs l5 I5 to squeeze them together and to thereby spread the portions 32, 32 apart, so that when the disk is slid to a position against the portions 3|, subsequent release of the pressure upon the legs I5", [5 and consequent return of said legs to their normal parallel or substantially parallel relationship as shown, results in the terminals of the portions 32 being moved inwardly into overlying relationship to the disk.

While a pad and a superimposed medicament disk may be used with the holder shown in Fig. 8 in the same manner as with the other forms of the holder, the holder illustrated in Fig. 8 is especially designed to hold a single absorbent disk which has been impregnated with a medicament.

It will be observed that a feature of practical importance in carrying forward the invention is to provide and maintain an air circulating pas sage throughout the casing, the same being provided at what may be termed its lower end with an air inlet or inlets I and at what may be termed at its upper or nozzle end with air outlets l4 through the nozzle part. Also as a part of the air circulation feature the medicated cartridge or disk 25, as well as the absorbent and swabbing pad 24 (when used) are provided with air'passages p therethrough permitting the air to freely circulate and become medicated as it passes through the casing to the point of use.

'nally therewith.

Furthermore, it will be understood that the medicated disk or cartridge 25 may be employed alone and without the absorbent pad 24,- if desired.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art,

and it will of course be understood. that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A medicament element holder for use with a nasal inhaler of the type comprising'a casing open at one end and provided with a removable cap and containing electrical heating means and a cup within said heating means having a central air tube; said holder comprising a stem engageable with said tube to hold the holder operatively positioned within the inhaler and to serve as a handle for inserting and removing the holder when the casing cap is removed, and medicament element supporting means at the inner end of saidstem. f

2. Amedicament holder as set forth in claim 1 in which the stem of the holder comprises a pair of wires engageable with opposite sides of the air tube of the inhaler.

3. A medicament holder as set forth in claim 1 in which the stem'of the holder is of tubular form for-telescopic engagement over the air tube of the inhaler.

4. A medicament element holder for use with a nasal inhaler of the type comprising a casing open at one end and provided with a removable cap and containing a hollow electrical heating element; said holder comprising a stem, a ringlike formation at the top of said stem to be confined between the open end portion of the casing and the cap to support the holder within the hollow heating element of the inhaler, and mev dicament element holding means at the inner end of said stem of cage-like form open at its sides for insertion and removal of the medicament element. a

5. A holder of the character described comprising a single length of wire bent to form a stem, a finger grip formation at one end of said stem, and a cage-like formation at the other end of said stem, said cage-like formation being open at its sides for insertionand removal of an article and having end portions for engagement, respectively, with the ends of the article so that when the holder is moved longitudinally in either direction the article is positively moved longitudi- ARTHUR G. BORDEN. 

